Which Is Better? Letting Charities Distribute to the Poor, or Helping the Poor Ourselves?
(Nehemiah chapter 5, verses 1-13) By Pastor Paul J. Bern
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The events of these past few weeks on Wall St. and inside the Beltway in Washington, DC have been a reminder to us all that the super-rich have taken over our country in a bloodless coup. Everybody has been the victim of predatory lending practices that has resulted in millions of people having student loans which can never be repaid. Wages are stagnant at best as corporate America continues to keep all their profits closely guarded in-house. Slavery may have been abolished in 1865, but starvation wages still prevail. This is the reason the “Occupy” and “We are the 99%” Movements have remained so popular, except that it has evolved into Black Lives Matter and the fight for a $15.00 per hour minimum wage, among other things.
The Economic System Is Unfair
Why is it that the rich have taken over the whole country while the remaining 99% of us languish in poverty? I can sum it up in one word – debt. The rich have buried the remainder of us under a mountain of debt. Today's American consumers are faced with being forced to borrow just to pay their bills. We have upside-down mortgages, upside-down car loans, never-ending student loans, usurious title pawn loans, payday loans and a whole host of other predatory practices that are fundamentally unfair. So I got to wondering what the Bible has to say about this topic. After considerable thought, prayer, study and meditation God has shown me which Scriptures to use for today. So let's go back in the Old Testament to the Book of Nehemiah chapter 5 (for you newer readers, Nehemiah is between Ezra and Esther).
The Old Testament Is Filled With Similarities to Modern Bankruptcy
I will start at verse 1, but I'm going to break this passage up into a couple of parts so that I may do the best job I can at explaining this to everyone. “Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. Some were saying, 'We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.' Others are saying, 'We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.' Still others are saying, 'We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and vineyards belong to others.'” (Nehemiah 5, verses 1-5)
The New Famine and Insurmountable Debt Load of Us All
The people during Nehemiah's time were experiencing a severe food shortage, and whatever food was available was priced so far out of the reach of the working people (like ourselves) and the farmers, that they were having to mortgage everything just to feed their families. As you can see, government assistance during hard times was nonexistent during this time, and people were really suffering as a result. Continuing the text, it reads, “Others are saying, 'We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.' Still others are saying, 'We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.” In today's terms, credit cards, student loans, the Federal income tax, and 30-year mortgages – combined with stagnant wages that are stuck at 1970's levels – are the new famines and new insurmountable debts of the 21st century.
It’s Up To Us to Turn This Around
“....we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” Show me a people who have had their economic power taken away by debt, and I will show you a people who have lost their political clout as well. Plus, slavery back then for the daughters and at least a few of the young men was sex slavery, of that you can be sure. God will never be pleased with us as long as this we allow this kind of bad behavior among humankind. It's up to us to take charge of this situation and turn it around. What are we waiting for? And now let's move on to the next few verses, starting at verse 6.
The US Economic System has to be Reformed (Biblical example)
“When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, 'You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!' So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said, 'As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!' They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. So I continued, 'What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them – the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.'” (Nehemiah 5, verses 6-11)
Famine in the Bible Compared to Being Indigent Today
Just like in verse 6, when I see people having to file bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills, or becoming homeless because of that, or maybe a job loss, I too get angry. It is fundamentally unfair to be living on the streets, or in your cars if you are lucky enough to still own one at that point. But let's put this into its historical context for a moment. The sentences, “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!' They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say....”, are referring to the then-recent release of the Israelite’s of old from the Babylonian Empire, where they had been held captive for the previous 70 years by King Artaxerxes before being released so they could rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem.
The Time Line and Context of These Scriptures
All this was done at Nehemiah's request, which he formally made to the king, not unlike a modern-day petition to the government. The request was granted (see chapter 1 of Nehemiah), the Israelite’s – who had just spent the previous 70 years in Babylonian captivity – went back to what was left of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple there. So this entire conversation is actually taking place long after everyone has returned, but before the first crop has matured enough to be harvested. Nehemiah is giving those in charge of the rebuilding a stern lecture on fairness.
To Be a True Christ Follower, It’s Our Responsibility to Treat Others Fairly
“What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them.” I could modernize those first 2 verses by writing, ‘You're charging too much interest, and it financially cripples the entire population. (This would apply in particular to the student loan debacle of the present day) This is grossly immoral! And so now, in the interest of fairness and ethics, you must give back all the properties, cars and trucks you have forcibly taken even though the debtors were making serious efforts to make good on those debts. This is a 'cease and desist' order to stop this unethical practice immediately. This also includes credit cards, which people often must use to pay for groceries, clothing, medical bills and utility bills.’ People should not have to pay interest just to be able to feed their children and pay their power and phone bills. And now let me conclude today's message, beginning at verse 12.
The Rest of the Story
“'We will give it back', they said. 'And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.' Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, 'In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!' At this the whole assembly said, 'Amen!', and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.” (Nehemiah 5, verses 12-13).
The Economic Stranglehold of Taxation and Interest
This is exactly what the Big Five banks and Wall St. investors need to do, and the same goes for the IRS. Let go of the strangle hold, Washington and Wall Street, that you currently have the American people locked into. Not just a head-lock, mind you, but a stranglehold! If any of us were to do any such thing to an individual, we'd be in jail for assault. If any of us were to do that to a business or other financial institution, we'd be charged with extortion. But if the government does that to any of us, then it's called “taxation”.
We’re Running Out of Choices
The warning from God is clear here. The governmental and financial systems must start treating the population – and each other – fairly, or we will find ourselves judged and will be found wanting in the presence of God. Trust me, you don't want to go there, that's for sure. So the lesson for today is only this: Stop mistreating each other for profit. And governments, starting with America's, must enact better laws to protect working people so that the problem of economic inequality can be permanently solved. If none of these things are done, and if things are allowed to continue on for much longer, the whole country is going to turn into a powder keg. Then again, maybe that's the only choice the American people have left if we're going to be able to take back our country.
Helping the Poor and the Prophet Nehemiah